Free to Explore Christchurch
By Momma, Silas, and Ruby

We were released from isolation at 7am after our final health check at 5am. We drove to a small coastal town called Lyttleton to grab our first breakfast and coffee on the outside. Such a sweet town!

Afterwards, we headed straight to the Margaret Mahy Playground and played for hours! New Zealand has the BEST playgrounds. Look it up. So amazing!

The kids wanted to try hokey pokey ice cream, so we headed for the city center on an ice cream mission. I took a lick and it’s exactly as I remember. Ruby said: I loved it! The best thing I’ve ever had! Silas said: Sweet, creamy, crunchy golden deliciousness!

Tim had some NZ banking to do in the city, so the kids and I headed to the public library. What a special place! Lego bins, a dramatic play area with costumes (the kids had a great time dressing Ingrid up), reading nooks, etc.

So incredible being able to go to public places in general and without masks! Every public place has a QR code to scan for contact tracing and you must sanitize your hands before and after going into a place. I feel so safe and light not having covid hanging over my head as a parent. So freeing! Such a testament to working together for the common good instead of being focused on individual freedoms.

We stayed in a motor lodge which looked like a castle and had a pool! The kids had a great time meeting kiwi children on holiday.

We all got haircuts in the city the next morning before starting out on our trip north. It had been awhile, so we were all a bit unruly.

Tim gifted Ingrid and I pounamu (jade) necklaces as we were the only family members without taonga (treasured item). You cannot purchase your own and must be gifted one. I love that we found pieces made in Christchurch where we completed our isolation & started our adventure.